Personal Grooming Items | Home & Garden Classifieds

Looking good � and feeling good, as a result � is a major contributory factor to the success of personal and professional relationships alike. Many men, in particular, use grooming appliances and products to create a certain image of themselves, in their own eyes and minds � their own "self perception", if you like � as well as those of business colleagues, or prospective partners, for example. Indeed, male grooming is big business, with an estimated �1.3 billion spent, each year, on grooming products. Male grooming appliances have come become increasingly available, and affordable, in recent years.

Shavers

Whether you're completely clean shaven, or like to style your facial hair, shaving, of one form or another, is likely to form part of your daily routine. Shaving, using correctly chosen appliances and products, should be a pleasure, leaving your face feeling fresh and revitalised. Shave manufacturers have invested time and effort � and, of course, money � into the development of heads, foils and blades that are capable of producing close shave, without irritating your skin.

Foil, and rotary, heads are the most common types found in electric shavers, and although both produce excellent results, many shaver s find that they have a distinct preference for one type over the other. A single foil shaver, for example, may include a head that "floats" in all directions, adjusting to the contours of your face and neck, and reducing the possibility of trapping, or catching, your skin. A dual foil shave, on the other hand, shaves off short stubble with its first foil, then lifts and trims long, or close-lying, hairs with an integrated cutter, before shaving them off completely with its second foil. A rotary head shaver is equipped with three, or more, independent heads that allow a full range of motion. Many models feature twin blade systems, for a very close shave, and heads may be very thin, with slots for longer hairs, and holes to catch even the shortest stubble.

You also need to decide whether you want a mains, or rechargeable, shaver, or � more commonly, these days � a shaver that allows both forms of operation. Many rechargeable shavers feature an LED indicator that warns you when charge is low, and, indeed, include a "quick" charge option, if you've forgotten to charge the shaver. Many shavers, nowadays, also include an automatic, self cleaning option, without having to dismantle the shaver and clean it with a brush and/or water, in the traditional way.

Clippers & Trimmers

Short haircuts and tonsured facial hair are as popular today as they have ever been, and this has led to a myriad of clippers and trimmers. Some of the latest clippers, for example, feature high torque, 8500 rpm motors, and blades coated with carbon, and titanium, for performance, durability and precision. Clippers are available in mains, and cordless, designs, and feature variable speed and taper controls, for fine or thick hair.

Beards, moustaches and sideburns can be difficult to keep in trim, and with an estimated 50% of men styling their facial hair in some way, nowadays, it is no real wonder that trimmer sales have taken off in recent years. Portable, pocket sized trimmers are available, again with high precision blades, and trimming attachments. You may even come across a beard trimmer with a built-in vacuum cleaner, which collects beard trimmings from the sink, or the bathroom floor, for proper disposal.

Hair Dryers

Traditional hairdryers � that is, those with a plastic casing containing a motor and heating coil � do tend to create "frizziness" in all but the shortest hair, making it look, and feel, blow dried. Newer hairdryer technology employs a device which uses negatively charged ions to minimise the size of water droplets in your hair, allowing it to dry more quickly, and absorb more water, keeping it shiny and soft. This process may also be beneficial in reducing the oiliness of the scalp. Hairdryers of this type may be listed as "ceramic", "ionic", "nano-silver", or "tourmaline" in personal grooming classifiedd, and it is not unusual for two, or more, or these materials to be used in the components of a modern hairdryer. If you have permed, or naturally curly, hair, you may be interested in hairdryer attachments, such as diffusers, which maintain curl without introducing frizziness, or volumisers, which lift and separate hair for height, and volume. A safety, or "immersion shock protection", plug, which prevents you from being electrocuted if you drop a hairdryer into a sink, or bath, full of water is always a wise precaution.

Advice on Personal Grooming Appliances

The Internet and lifestyle magazines are valuable sources of information, and reviews � from real people � about personal grooming appliances. Bear in mind, however, that some major websites, or publications, may actually be given a product to test by the manufacturer, itself, and a review of that product, therefore, may not be totally unbiased. Talking to a professional, such as your local barber, or hairdresser, may also be a good idea. The chances are that they will have used many different appliances, and will be more than happy to share their opinions with you.